Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian-British political activist and outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, recently shared harrowing details of his imprisonment in Siberia’s most notorious prisons.
Nerve Damage from Poisoning
After spending 11 months in brutal isolation, Kara-Murza was released in a prisoner exchange in August, a move he believes saved his life. In an interview with The Independent reported by Digi24, he described the psychological torture and isolation that nearly broke him.
Kara-Murza was arrested in April 2022 for speaking out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His outspoken criticism led to a 25-year sentence after a trial that resembled the repressive show trials of Stalin’s era.
His punishment marked the longest political sentence given since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Before his arrest, Kara-Murza had already survived two assassination attempts through poisoning, carried out by Kremlin agents in 2015 and 2017.
Both incidents left him with nerve damage, but he continued his activism.
Near-Total Isolation
In Siberia, Kara-Murza was held in near-total isolation, confined to a small cell for 23 hours a day. He was punished for minor infractions, such as unbuttoning his shirt or failing to wake up on time.
The psychological toll of isolation was immense, with Kara-Murza describing how his mind began to deteriorate after just a few weeks, leaving him confused and questioning what was real.
He compared his daily experience to being locked in a "closet," with guards often manipulating him into breaking the strict prison rules.
Despite the torture, Kara-Murza found strength in two books he was allowed to keep: a Spanish language manual and the Bible.
He credited these, along with his faith and his family's fight for his freedom, with keeping him sane during his ordeal. Kara-Murza’s wife, Evghenia, and their three children, who fled to the U.S., played a crucial role in advocating for his release.
